Teaser
by Crisis Masuko
Summary: Post KH2, AU, mild angst, soriku Sora and the gang return from their adventure. Riku has some issues to sort out, and Sora has a secret or two...that will change both their lives forever--again. Pre-prequel to an epic fic.


_Teaser: prequel to Overdrive_

_Created May 2007_

_Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a rosy hue in the room. I was woken up by it: light. _How long had it been since I'd seen a sunrise? _…wait. Where am I?!_

My eyes snap open to see a strangely familiar ceiling. It's got model airplanes and rockets dangling from it…Puzzled, I look down at myself. My jaw drops. _I'm…I'm ME again! But how--?_

"Mmm…Rikuuu…" a brunet mess of hair stirs, splayed out right next to me. _Ah, I must be dreaming_ I realize sadly. _If I'm back to my normal form and Sora's here, then…_ I waited for the other shoe to drop, grieving. _Why can't I ever have a normal life like Sora does? Why can't this nightmare just be OVER? _My imaginary hands grip the imaginary bed sheets strewn around me. _I… just want to be…_ Sora's regular breathing continues, his chest rising slowly, and I wonder again, not daring to hope. _…with him…? _

_What if it isn't a dream? Ugh, can't get my hopes up--_

"I've searched everywhere for you!" the imaginary Sora yells suddenly. "Riku! Grmbbllm…" The brunet's hand flops onto my stomach, momentarily rendering me breathless--for a couple reasons. It all comes back to me then: Kairi finding me, the reunion of all our friends, the battle with Xemnas, that moonlit beach in the dark world… We'd returned to Destiny Islands, and after a mucho-tearful hug-fest, Sora took me to his house to crash. _I think he was afraid I'd run away again_. We'd collapsed into bed after that--clothes and all. His room had been kept the same in hopes that he'd return one day…_Talk about optimistic parents…_

Turning my gaze back to my best friend, I hesitantly reach out a weirdly-pale hand. Used as I am of having a darker skin and a more mature body, this one I was born with seems so strange. I stop within an inch from his face, not daring to hope. _What if this is just a really long dream and I'm gonna wake up and still be in my dark form?!_ The thought's too awful to bear, but I steel myself nonetheless. I softly stroke Sora's cheek, my heart rising to my throat. He's warm and soft--peach fuzzy, even. My fingers trace up to his forehead and stroke back his mouse-brown hair. _He's beautiful! It's…real. Oh, gawd, it's real!_ My throat completely constricts now as he stirs, smiling in his sleep.

"S-So…Sora?" I manage, fighting the lump in my throat. _The moment of truth…_

The brunet stretches luxuriously and squinches his eyes shut at the light, like a kitten.

"Sora, hey…" I nudge his side gently. Sky-blue eyes open slowly, focus on me, then suddenly slam shut, hard.

"No, not _again_…" he wraps his face in his hands, groaning. "When will these dreams stop coming?! I know I like Riku, but this is just _mean_…" I suddenly know what he's going through; I reach for his hand.

"Sora! You're not dreaming, Sora!" I whisper urgently, twining my fingers with his.

My best friend's breath hitches, his whole body becoming as still as stone. He turns his hand over with painstaking care, so our palms are touching-- as if he's afraid I'll vanish into thin air.

"Ri-ku?" he squeaks, voice high-strung. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze, my nerves starting to calm a bit. _This is real, oh gawd, this is real…_

"Yeah?" My vision goes blurry, but I can see Sora's moved his hand so his eyes are uncovered.

"You're not gonna run away this time, are you?" he asks, treading lightly. In a move that I hope will comfort him, I pull his other hand from his face and grip both hands in mine. I look full on into his gorgeous blue eyes.

"I'm not leaving you again, I _promise_."

The brunet's at a loss for words, probably remembering the events of last night. His hands grip mine, feeling them just to make sure they're real, then he literally throws himself at me, not unlike how he did in the World That Never Was. I end up on my back, Sora practically _straddling_ me, his face buried near my heart. "Sor--?!" _Oh, man, this isn't good._ Parts of my body other than my face are starting to heat up. _Crap, what if his parent's come in--_

A muffled sob escapes Sora's throat. _Oh…_ I lay still as he tries harder to stifle it, his body trembling from the effort. "Sora…" I sigh, gripping him gently. His resolve snaps like a twig-- he starts sobbing out loud. "It's okay, I'm here now…why are you crying?" I murmur, running my hand through his spikes. _It's my turn to be strong; Sora's been through enough these past years…It's nice to feel wanted, though. I'm guessing Kairi got the same treatment. _A bubble of jealousy floats around for awhile, then disappears. _…because she's his best friend, too. It's nothing new…_

Sora's sobs eventually slow and peter out as I pet him, then he seems to collect himself, lifting himself off of me. He lifts a tear-streaked, red-eyed, yet grinning face.

"We're…we're all together again. Me, you, Kairi…it's just like old times!" He rolls onto his back, arms crossed behind his head. I grin at the familiar pose.

"You really haven't changed since that night, Sora." I prop myself up on my elbows, gazing around the room. "Come to think of it, your room's also the same, except that it's actually _clean_!" I tease. The brunet grins back in earnest, glad that we can talk on friendly terms again.

"I guess my parents never lost hope that I'd come back, huh? They were awesome last night--they almost didn't believe it was _me_!" I smile faintly.

"You missed 'em too, huh?"

He gulps, nodding. I sit up finally, decided.

"Tell you what: I'll go back to my place for awhile and let you guys have fun, okay?"

"N-no, that's not…what I meant." he protests feebly. I give him an exasperated look.

"Sora, you haven't seen your parents for the past two years. I think it's time you did a little catching up?" I quirk an eyebrow, hoping he'll realize it's okay with me. He looks me in the eye, unsure of himself. I mentally roll my eyes.

"How about we meet at Metro for lunch? Twelve-thirty?" I bargain. It's not that I don't wanna be with him--it's that I don't want his parents to think I'm taking him all the time.

Sora's face brightens. "Okay! Metro, twelve thirty! Sounds great!" A this point we're sitting on the edge of his bed, raring to go. I hear footsteps pounding up his staircase-- my cue to leave. "See you." I loosen the latch on his window and vault out, neatly landing on my feet. He waves through the window, then turns to greet his overjoyed parents. I look around, getting my bearing again. _Same old, same old. _I smirk, then my heart stops. _Oh yeah. I don't HAVE parents. _The town suddenly seemed barren, even in this colorful residential neighborhood. There was little left for me here.

My parents, who'd threatened to disown me more than once because of my defiance, had probably left this island chain. _I guess Dad and Mom are finally happy, then, with their precious little baby_. I thought bitterly, remembering how they'd talked of leaving the islands once they had another kid. _Great, now what?_

I just stood there outside Sora's driveway, assessing my new situation: I was family-less, moneyless, had no work experience, and …"I have no home to go to, do I? Shit, what am I gonna _do_?!" Panicked tears prickle in my eyes. _Why does life have to be such a _bitch_?_

I start walking to where my house once was. The beach house-esque mansion's still all there, but two new cars are parked in front, and a fruity set of lawn ornaments decorates the front yard. _Yeah, that's it…but someone else's living there now._ A sour taste works itself into my mouth at the thought. _That's _my _house…the same house I grew up in…isn't my home anymore. _It feels like a damper has been clamped onto my heart--even worse than a lock of darkness. _What do I _do_? I've got nothing here but shaky friendships and a childhood crush._ The damper tightens into a vice--hopelessness. It's a feeling I'm familiar with, sadly.

I suddenly find myself at Titus's place, not knowing how I'd gotten there. He and the rest of the island kids had heard of our return, but we'd barely had a chance to exchange a greeting. _He's hopefully got an idea of what I should… do?_ I glance down at a white envelope in his driveway; it's addressed to me.

Bemused, I pick it up and turn it over. A sticker of a pirate's sword holds it closed. _Yeah, that's Tidus's signature_. I almost laugh, then tear it open with a faintly trembling hand .

_Hey Riku,_

_Heard you three got back last night. I knew you'd make it back! I was telling Selphie over and over again even though she forgot about you three! Can you believe it? Anyway, me n Wakka got together and stole all your stuff from your parents before they left for the mainland. It's in the shack on the island, cuz no one would ever look there anymore. Your parents also left behind a couple K for you, in case you ever got back._

_You owe me big. _

_Catch you later,_

_Tidus_

_Even Tidus and Wakka…they never gave up on me either. Some friend _I _am. _I feel my smile wobble a little_. Gawd, I'm such a sap lately. _I stuff the letter in my pant's pocket and start running.

CHAPTER 2

A couple hours later, the shack's officially my new home. You'd think the tiny room couldn't hold so much stuff, but I was surprised to find that it all fit. Given, the only big things I owned were a piano and a mattress, but other than that…

I look outside to see the beach we'd played along so many times as kids. The little dock, the ramp that leads up to my new home, the bulky palm trees swaying slightly in the breeze…it's all so familiar--I was the one who'd changed.

I turn back to the room and stand in front of my most prized possession: an old, dilapidated parlor piano, some of it's keys replaced with wooden ones and its pedals clearly not functioning. I drag over a crate and sit in front of it, wondering if I'd be able to remember how to play. I briefly run my fingers over its keys, playing an octave up. "Ick. Flatter than a pancake." I grimaced, nonetheless happy that I still had perfect pitch. _I wonder if I can still play that song that Sora liked so much._ If nothing else, muscle memory takes over--it's like riding a bike. Soon the tune "Dearly Beloved" floats out from the old instrument, setting up a melancholy atmosphere in the shack--inappropriate, maybe, but… _Why am I being so sappy today? _I wonder as I stop to brush tears from my face. _This song reminds me of everything that happened over these last two years. Some stuff I don't even _want_ to begin to remember…_ A forgotten memory suddenly flashes through me.

_Sora held the paopu fruit that I'd tossed him, looking at it bemusedly. He looked like he was gonna say something, but I ran off, saying something about giving it to Kairi. I imagined he blushed furiously at that, but he was already following me to the rowboat. _

I cringed, a blush seeping into _my_ face at the thought. _I was jealous back then, wasn't I? Jealous of Kairi because Sora had showed her our secret hideout--and half angry because he'd been falling for her-- _

"He likes _Kairi. _Get over it." I grumble, poking at a piano key. Shaking my head, I stand up to look at the clock--batteries freshly replaced. "Oh. Shit." I can practically _feel_ the blood drain from my face. I'm an hour late for lunch. I tear out of the shack and sprint along the beach, nervous energy coursing through my veins.

Ten minutes later, I arrive at Metro, sopping wet from head to toe and panting like a dog. I look inside anxiously, but Sora's nowhere in sight. Cursing like a sailor, I sink down onto the curb, my back to the place. "Sora, I'm sorry…" I murmur softly, knowing he's gonna be ticked when we meet again. Glad for once that my hair tends to hide my face, I stare glumly at my shoes, filled with dread. _Way to miss your first opportunity to make it up to him, Riku_. My conscience nags. _Now he probably--_ A rapid pounding of feet drills into my head. A glittering red streak flashed past me into the restaurant.

"Rikuuu?! Is Riku here?!" Sora's voice--frantic--jolts me up from my spot. "Aw, damnit! I'm such an idiot! He must've thought that I forgot and now he's gonna be pissed and--"

"Uh, hi Sora." I'd walked in just as he was declaring his idiocy to the world and was now at his side. My best friend, in a sparkling red outfit, swivels around.

"Riku!" he squeaks and gives me a relieved hug. _Man, he's warm…eep_. In a flash of light, Sora's back to his original outfit, all sheepish grin. "I'm really sorry: my parents and I were playing "Sorry" and, well, yeah…" he trails off as I start chuckling. "What's so funny?" He protests, giving me a weird look. I straighten, smiling.

"_I_ came here about two minutes ago myself, and I thought _you_…" I break off laughing at the look on his face. "Aw, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Shut up." He grins, playfully punching me. Back to normal. Sweet. "So, what took you so long?" he asked out of curiosity. I pointedly avoided his gaze.

"I was…straightening up." He quirked an eyebrow, looking me up and down.

"Did you go swimming?" He reached up and fingered my damp, too-long hair. "Where?"

I lie. "Around Tetra street. We should go surfing sometime there."

Sora looks thoughtful. "I dunno how to surf, but I wanna learn!"

We're on said beach about six hours later, licking up sea-salt ice cream. The sun's setting, casting an orange hue on the whole island; the waters were calm today, lapping gently at the shore.

"I wonder if we'll see the green flash!" Sora grins, his teeth and lips stained blue from the treat. I wonder if it's just hormones that make me notice the sticky layer of blue on his upper lip. "Remember how we used to see it all the time back then?" He sprawls lazily on the paopu branch I'm leaning on.

I nod. "Too bad we never saw the last sunset together, huh?" I ask softly, regretting it the moment it escapes my lips. Well, now that it's out there…

Sora's silent for a moment, flicking the popsicle stick back and forth between his teeth, thinking. It's a curious process to watch because he seldom does it. "That night…ah…I-it wasn't…I mean, me n' Kairi…" He murmurs distractedly.

"What's up?" I look at his face, plucking the stick from my mouth. "Is this about the night of the storm?" Sora nods, blushing furiously.

"Yeah, you gave me a paopu fruit…"

"And you shared it with her." I finished softly. "I know."

"N-no I didn't! I didn't see her again 'till during the storm!" Sora protested, sitting up to look at me fully.

It's my turn to be surprised. "Then what'd you _do_ with it?"

"I forget, but it doesn't matter! Do you remember what happened right before that?"

The memory was refreshed, all right. "You asked me to wait, but I ran off."

"Yeah…Riku…" his sky-blue eyes turn soft. "That night, I…ugh." He bit his lip, frustrated with himself. He turns his face away--unusual for him. I reach out to clasp his hand. Did he flinch?

"Go ahead. Finish your thought." I urge gently, a little scared. _What's he so afraid of? Did something happen to him that I don't know about?_

Sora looks at me from he corner of one blue eye. "I was…I was gonna--"

_What the hell just happened? _I rewind, a little shell-shocked even as I'm running down the street. _Sora…Sora?_

A sudden blast of pure darkness--inky black-violet, acrid smoke pouring everywhere, it's vile stench shaking me to the core. A horrified scream that choked off like something that'd been gutted--maybe mine? Ice cold chills that wrack my body in shivers--I find myself kneeling in the sand, trying not to inhale--to not hyperventilate. A harsh, animalistic breathing sound retreats as something pads away--_what about Sora?! _

"Sora?! Are you okay?"

Nothing. Eerie silence in the light of sunset. As the last wisps of dark smoke fade away, Sora is nowhere to be found. "Sora! Soraaa?!" Panic electrifies me.

All that's left in his place is a scramble of footprints in the sand…and a pair of smoldering black footprints leading away from it. Something took Sora--something dark. Something frighteningly powerful had followed us home.

_I can't lose Sora! Not like this! Dammit! What the hell could follow us back to our own world? …Sora…!_ The footprints lead across town, leaving a wake of shocked and yattering people in its wake. There are even marks on palm tree trunks that shimmer violet-black as you pass by. The black stains seem to fade with time, too, and it's getting harder to follow in the twilight. Suddenly the prints double back into an alleyway behind a restaurant.

"Sora?" I call out, peering into the dark corners of said alley. _Oh, how horror-movie-clich__é__…not that I have a choice whether to go in or not… _A crash and a bang as a trash can tumbles down and rolls over--something scuttles around behind the dumpster. "…" I grumble. _It's gotta be a cat or somethi--_

The same vile stench as before makes its way to my nose; it's even worse than the dumpsters back here._ ! It's that thing! _My knees almost give out on me--damn, that smell brings back way too many unwanted memories. "Sora?" I call out, wondering if he's still conscious. I won't even consider that he may already be dead--oops.

A nasal hiss spits out from the trash corner. Something black leaps from behind the dumpster and hangs spider-like on the opposing wall. It looks like…

"Sora!" My heart goes to my throat. _This thing killed Sora and took his form! ing_ bastard_!_ It's a grotesque copy of Sora: deep navy blue skin, black clothes and hair, and Heartless-yellow glowing eyes. Black, pungent smoke emanates from its very skin. It opens its disgusting mouth to hiss at me, the sound not unlike that of a rattling snake. _SUNUVA&!!_ "YOU _BASTARD_!!" I roar, barely registering what's happening even as I lunge at it, keyblade drawn. All I know is that it's deadly fast, and its claws feel like infectious ice. Next thing I'm running down the main residential area street, dogging the bastard even though I can't even see it anymore--just following its stench.

The sun has set, leaving the sky bluish-gray with chunks of pink and orange-tinged clouds. It would've been a beautiful night to enjoy with Sora…

Weakened by the very thought, I suddenly just fall to my knees right at the edge of the beach. My keyblade disappears with a cold snap. _What use is it now, anyway? Sora's gone…he's _gone_…my god…_ A lukewarm drop makes its way down my face.

"Sora…!" I choke, looking up to the beach as if it'll be my savior. _This can't be the end! Not like this…not Sora…!_ It's then that I notice something I'd missed earlier. The black footprints are gone--my last chance to find a trace of him! "No!" I hiss, looking around in a panic. No smudges of black on the trees, the sand, the buildings. The smell's gone, too, but…I follow my gaze up.

A line of fresh footprints leads down the sand…_Ha! I'll get this sunuva& after all! _I grimly stumble upright and follow the set of prints, resigned to at least kill the er for revenge's sake. The sand slides under my shoes as if determined to hinder me, but screw the sand. Sora's gone… I keep quiet, knowing that if I'm heard I could very well lose the tiny sliver of chance I have of finding him ever again. A dry rustle of palm tree leaves--just the wind. "Sora…?" I venture vainly, seeing as the prints lead to a condensed grove of paopu trees. The bunchy trees are only a couple feet from where I'd last seen Sora, a sick irony I'll probably never forget.

My keyblade snaps back into my hand, ready to shred the Heartless; I take a final deep breath and brush aside the thick leaves of the tree. Something big scrambles back into the small grove, shuffling aside leaves in a frenzy--I catch a glimpse of dark hair. Damn, my first slash misses and only severs a few leaf tips. My second fells a branch and my prey scrambles further back. _No way this sunuva__is getting away this time…_ I stalk forward, ready for sweet revenge when I hear a very _human_ gasp. A ridiculous hope sparks within me; my keyblade disintegrates.

I hear more muffled gasps and come to realize that someone's…crying. Gently now, _, I came near to killing someone_… I brush aside the paopu leaves, eyes squinting through the darkness of night. _Could it be him…? _I swipe my hair out of my eyes, clinging to my stupid hope. Sora's gone, eaten by the beings that he fought off so many times. _There's no way…_

The last leaf is removed, and there he is. _Omigod…!_

"Sora! Holy SORA!!" I'm hugging him, crying, ruffling his hair in disbelief, hugging him close to me again…_He's alive! , he's ALIVE!_ I drink in his unforgettable scent and kiss away his every tear, practically insane with delight; I meet his gorgeous cerulean eyes. He can barely speak, his eyes pained as if guilty.

"R-Riku…I'm sorry…" he croaks softly, burying his soft head of spikes into my chest. Wetness seeps through my shirt to my skin, but I'm also crying into his shoulder.

"No, I'm sorry I let that thing get you. It's my fault, Sora…"

Sora's sobs only increase. "No, you don't understand! Riku, you don't know what happened!" He sobs, inching back so he can face me.

"What do you mean? A Heartless followed you here and kidnapped you, right?"

"NO!" He cries violently, like a kid having a tantrum. His eyes burn stark blue in the darkness, his face shining wet in the moonlight. "_I_ was the Heartless, Riku! I-I turn into a H-heartless sometimes-s, and--"

"…What?" I blink, hoping I heard wrong. Sora gulps, takes a shuddering breath, and nods tentatively.

"I was the Heartless! I a-attacked y-you--please understand, Riku! I c-can't control it!" He grabs ahold of my shirt as if afraid I'm going to just up and leave him there. "I really c-c-can't control--"

I stop him then, pulling him into me tears and all. "Sora…it's okay…" _Why didn't you tell me? None of this would've happened if you'd just told me sooner--_ Much as I'd love to chastise him as such, I don't have the stupidity to do it right here, right now. "It's okay…" For now, I'm just glad he's freaking _alive _and able to tell me this much.

"I don't blame you for _anything_. Sora, I thought I'd lost you…" I bury my head into his shoulder, hoping he has even an _inkling_ of how much he means to me. "I was so worried…" I can feel my face crumple momentarily, then I wrap my arms around his back and just stay there, holding him. Sora's sobs soon subside, and the brunet can finally take a breath without half-choking on it.

"What were you going to tell me earlier?" I ask softly after a few minutes. I feel his muscles tense. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea_ I notice, holding him steady._…I'm starting to get turned on by all this hugging…_

"Um…yeah…about that…"He seems to shrink a little in my arms, but then… "When I was fourteen, I realized that I didn't really like girls…_that_ way." Sora pulls out of my grip, dampened blue eyes not meeting mine. "I…uh…I liked…" No way. I don't believe this. Is he…?

"I like _guys_, Riku…" He finishes in a tiny voice, his ears burning pink. My throat's suddenly feeling uncooperative. _He's…_

"It's about time you admitted it." I manage, with more confidence than I feel.

Sora's head jerks up, blue eyes not daring to hope. He licks his lips unconsciously, barely breathing, but he goes on. "And that night, I was gonna find out whether you liked me or not for sure, cuz Kairi was starting to, uh…"

"Lurk?" I suggest. _Man, this is driving me nuts_…

"Lurk…" Sora admitted. "So…"

"So…?"

"IlikeyouRiku. _ReallylikeyoulikeIdidn'tevenknowwhattodowhenyouweregone_." Sora gasps, giving me the barest of hopeful looks. I can only smile.

"Sora?" I smudge a tear track on his peach-soft face with my thumb. "I like you too."

end


End file.
